History of The Boy’s Choir Now in its Twelfth (13th) season, the Richmond Boys Choir (RBC) began as a collaborative project of Theatre IV and the Boys and Girls Club of Richmond. After city-wide auditions in the fall of 1996, twenty-five (25) boys were selected for membership. In 1997, the Richmond Boys Choir became an independent, non-profit 501(c)(3), moving its offices from being housed in Theatre IV to 18 West Broad Street, and in late 2003, relocated to 200 South Third Street in Richmond, Virginia. In a very short time, the choir has earned the title "Richmond's Ambassadors' of Song" as it has served, not only the Richmond community, but such places as Kansas City, KS, Baltimore, MD, Washington, D.C., Fayetteville, NC and New York City, NY rendering a selection on the nationally syndicated program "The Today Show". RBC uses such opportunities to share with all that would hear the rich musical talent found in central Virginia. The Richmond Boys Choir not only strives to showcase its personal, academic and musical excellence, but also to represent Richmond's diverse cultures through music and membership. RBC welcomes members from all socio-economic, religious and cultural backgrounds. If you would like more information about our program, please contact us at (804) 788-6404. Major Benefits of the Program • Richmond Boys Choir Scholarship opportunities • Improved quality of life in greater Richmond both at the individual and community levels. • Musically gifted boys, some, whose families could otherwise not afford professional training, gain the knowledge, tools, skills and support to realize their personal, academic and musical potential. • Diverse segments of the community claim as their own a professional choir that, through the medium of entertainment, offers a tangible source of pride and hope in the future of Richmond. • Members develop to their full potential so that they may grow up to become healthy, contributing citizens and leaders among their peers. • Members achieve academic success; develop emotional well being-particularly the capacity for defining personal goals and values and negotiating challenges; build mutual respect and a sense of community among Choir members; acquire an appreciation for and confidence to engage in the world beyond their neighborhoods; and accomplish artistic excellence. • Members participate in a summer intensive musical training workshop. Performance History Proudly known as "Richmond's Ambassadors of Song", the Richmond Boys Choir is in its tenth year of operation. Within this short time, the choir has established many musical collaborative traditions including a partnership with the Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra. Together, the two organizations have created a wonderful evening of musical selections that typically kicks off the New Year at the Carpenter Center for the Performing Arts. RBC has opened for such great artists as Wynton Marsalis and Lily Tomlin at the Richmond Forum, former Supreme member Mary Wilson, at Maymont Park's Musicfest in Richmond, Virginia, the renowned James Earl Jones at Hampton-Sydney College, and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. The group has also been invited to perform at key gubernatorial events including the Inaugural Prayer Breakfast and the official Christmas tree lighting. One of our many performance highlights to date has been an appearance on the nationally viewed NBC Today Show, which hailed high praise from its anchor Katie Couric. Performance Contact Information Due to the many requests that the Choir receives to perform, we have established the following guidelines: 1. Requests must be received, in writing, at least 60 days prior to the performance date. 2. Performance will not be scheduled during the school day. 3. No member will be required to perform more than three times in one month. 4. All performances will be awarded an honorarium. 5. Performances provided for private, for-profit or fundraising functions will be charged a professional entertainment fee. 6. Full Choir or DREAMTEAM can be selected. If you would like your performance request to be considered, please send a brief letter describing your organization and outlining the time, date, location, number of people attending and purpose of the event to: The Richmond Boys Choir
200 South Third Street
Richmond, VA 23219
(804) 788-6404